The astronauts of the Artemis II mission are setting a new distance record far from Earth, surpassing the record set by Apollo 13.

The astronauts of the Artemis II mission set a new record on Monday, becoming the first humans to reach the farthest distance from Earth in history during a flight around the Moon. The crew surpassed the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, reaching a distance of 255,271 miles (410,831 kilometers).

The mission represents the first crewed flight to the Moon conducted by NASA in over 50 years. On board are four astronauts: Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.

The Orion capsule follows a 'free-return' trajectory, allowing the crew to return safely without additional fuel consumption. The astronauts will approach to about 6,550 kilometers from the Moon before returning to Earth. During the flight, the crew will conduct detailed observations of the lunar surface and will have the opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse.

The Artemis II mission paves the way for Artemis III, which will include docking maneuvers and preparations for landing on the Moon, with the goal of sending astronauts to the lunar surface by the end of the decade.